Scourge of Evil
by DracoCharizard87
Summary: The dragons get attacked by a possessed Bowser. They seek refuge in a strange village, but things aren't what they seem to be, especially when the Dark Queen comes to call.
1. Chapter 1: Mind Control

**DRAGON HEROES**

Here comes the next story in the series, and it looks as if things are really going to pick up here! I can hardly wait to get to the finale, so I hope to get these done as soon as possible! Enjoy!

* * *

 **Scourge of Evil**

 **Chapter 1 – Mind Control**

Another day has passed for the dragons as they stayed at the Fuji Five Lakes. Today, the sun was shining brightly, giving Mt. Fuji a very beautiful appearance. Lily was enjoying her swim in Saiko Lake, while Draco, Jakkin, Torden, Percival and Darky were having their breakfast.

"We should be finding a spot to set up our village soon," said Percival.

"We will once we find the best location for it," replied Draco.

Lily soon fished out some trout for the dragons to have at lunch. The water was cool and fresh, which made it ideal for swimming.

"This is really fun!" exclaimed the pink dragon. "Come on in, Draco! The water is fine!"

"Uh, no thank you, Lily," answered Draco. "I'm not really the kind that likes to get wet all the time."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," laughed Lily in embarrassment. "You're a Charizard, and your tailflame could be doused out if it got soaked, my mistake."

"You seem even more cheerful than ever since we've become Japanese citizens," said Torden. "That sure is something we've never expected."

"I always love it when good things happen!" exclaimed Lily. "It makes me smile every single time."

Draco scanned the area for Cynder, but found no sign of her. "Where's Cynder?" he asked.

"I have no idea where Cynder could be, Draco," replied Jakkin. "She doesn't talk much anyways, least when we're not fightin' the Pyre Squad."

"I think I have seen her going over to the hills at the other side," said Percival. "When I asked her where she was going this morning, she said she wanted to meditate on some things all by herself."

"She was longer than usual to return to camp," said Draco. "I think I better go and see what's going on. Hopefully, she's alright."

"Don't go without me, Draco," said Jakkin as he got off his seat. "I'm comin' with you too!"

"Count me in as well," added Percival.

"Please let me come with you, Draco," said Darky. "I just want to feel like as if I'm part of the group."

"Alright, you can come with us, Darky," said Draco. "At least there's no danger in where we'll be going."

"I'm going to stay here and keep an eye on Lily," said Torden. "Good luck finding Cynder, you guys."

* * *

Cynder stood all alone at the hills that situate on the base of Mt. Fuji. As the wind blew around her, she meditated very deeply, sensing something not quite right. Although she can't fully predict the future, something inside of the Twilight Storm dragon could sense that something terrible is about to happen. She wondered if it could be something to do with the Obsidian Devourers. Throughout the previous encounters with the Pyre Squad, Cynder noticed that their motives are becoming direr each time. Soon enough, Draco, Jakkin and Percival arrived at her location.

"What is that you guys want?" Cynder asked the moment she sensed their presence.

"Cynder, Lily has brought some lunch for later," said Draco. "We'll be having some trout by then."

"Aren't you going to be coming back to camp?" asked Percival.

"I will after a short while," replied Cynder. "Right now, I just want to have a look around the mountain."

"Very well," said Darky. "It's just that we have to find the right spot to establish our village any time now."

"That will be fine," said Cynder. "You guys can go now and let me indulge in my solitude for the time being."

"Not until you tell us what is goin' on," insisted Jakkin.

Cynder sighed in exasperation. "If you really want to know, I've been having some images in my mind," she answered. "They were really disturbing ones."

"Sorry for prying even more, Cynder, but what kind of images?" asked Draco as he, Jakkin, and Percival start to become worried by her response.

"I don't know for sure," said Cynder as she looked out to the horizon. "They seem to be visions of the future or something, but whatever the case, I say we need to stay on guard, because I have a feeling that there's trouble brewing out there."

Jakkin thought Cynder was being a bit pessimistic. "I guess it must be the Pyre Squad," he said. "Well, we've defeated them several times now, so I don't think we'll have any more problems with them."

"We'll let you be until you come back to camp then," said Draco. "Lily and Torden must be worried sick about us, but we'll let them that you just needed some time by yourself."

"Okay then," said Cynder. "See you guys later."

With that, Draco, Jakkin and Percival made their back to the lake, while Cynder continued looking into the distance. She wasn't completely sure, but she could feel that her premonitions might be true. The Pyre Squad was the least of her worries when it came to the Obsidian Devourers, for she sensed that somewhere out there is the driving force of the sinister organisation, and whoever it is would prove to be more powerful and dangerous than anything she and her group have faced up to this point.

* * *

It has been over a week since Bowser had left his castle in Australia. He was hoping to meet up with Draco, Cynder and Darky to check on how they've been doing with their journey. Fortunately, he was able to get one of the Koopalings to take care of his castle before he left. As he travelled across a Japanese forest, he thought deeply about his dragon friends.

"Wherever they might be, I could only hope that they're alright," he said to himself. "Then again, Draco and Cynder are young adult dragons, so they should be able to take care of themselves along with looking out for Darky."

He looked around the peaceful forest, admiring the scene, but then, he suddenly felt uneasy when he sensed something ominous.

"Something doesn't seem quite right," he muttered. "It's almost as if I'm being watched…"

Sure enough, unbeknownst to the Koopa King, sinister eyes were staring at him, waiting for the right moment to strike. Just as Bowser trudged cautiously while scanning around the forest, three figures jumped right in front of him. Shocked, Bowser stepped backwards as his eyes were focused on his assailants. They were the Pyre Squad trio Ciara, Scorcher and Cronk, but Bowser doesn't know them yet.

"Well, if it isn't the mighty Bowser Koopa," sneered Ciara. "We've been so eager to finally get the chance to meet you!"

"I have no idea who you three jokesters are!" exclaimed Bowser. "Who are you, and what do you want with me?"

"You don't know who we are? We're the Pyre Squad, high-ranking enforcers of the Obsidian Devourers!" proclaimed the dragon trio. "Together, we strike fear on non-dragons and hybrid dragons!"

Bowser took a fighting stance. "Well, if you are here to cause trouble, then you've got another thing coming!" he growled as he cracked his knuckles. "I've heard about the Obsidian Devourers, and there's no way I will stand for it that they do any harm to non-dragons and hybrids!"

"Come on and fight us!" encouraged Scorcher. "Show us all your power!"

"You're asking for it!" thundered Bowser. He lunged straight at the Pyre Squad, and delivered them a beating before pummelling them to the ground.

Bowser smiled smugly. "Not so tough now, eh?" he gloated, but then the Pyre Squad slowly got up and recovered.

"That's the kind of strength we need for a new recruit!" laughed Cronk. "Now you shall meet our queen of darkness and evil!"

Bowser could only wonder what is going on when a tall, shadowy figure appeared. As the figure came into view, it was revealed an evil looking black dragoness with curvy horns and blank, glowing yellow eyes. Bowser may not have met the Dark Queen, but he could tell who she since he had heard about all kinds of notorious dragons before.

"Vildouleur!" he snarled.

"Indeed, I am!" declared Vildouleur. "The ruler of the Obsidian Devourers and all of dragonkind, and you will become part of my entourage!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Bowser disdainfully. "I fight evildoers like you!"

"I think not," said Vildouleur. "You will be fighting a group of young dragons, one of which is a Twilight Storm and another is a Charizard, since I can detect your feelings!"

"You mean Draco and Cynder? Where are they now?"

"They're at Mt. Fuji, not far from here," replied Vildouleur. "Now go and destroy the group!"

"I will destroy you for threatening their lives!" roared Bowser. "Feel the burn of my powerful Fire Breath!"

Bowser unleashed a torrent of flames from his mouth to incinerate Vildouleur, but what he wasn't of was that the Dark Queen had the ability to teleport. Just when his fire breath could hit her, Vildouleur disappeared into thin air, cause the attack to miss. Bowser was stunned, and before he knew it, she unleashed a stream of shadowy claws which struck him from behind. The Koopa screamed in agony before feeling his thoughts slip away. He didn't sense that he was losing control of his body.

"Now, you are under my control, and you will do as I say!" demanded Vildouleur.

"Yes, my Queen…" Bowser droned obediently in a deep, growly voice. His eyes have been blanked out and thick black outlines were pronounced around them.

Vildouleur laughed evilly. With the mighty Koopa King Bowser now under her spell, she had one objective for him to carry out – the elimination Cynder's group.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Uh-oh, Bowser's under the control of the Dark Queen, which means he's gone evil again! What will happen next?


	2. Chapter 2: The Dark Koopa Returns

**Chapter 2 – The Dark Koopa Returns**

The dragons have finished packing up camp following their trout lunch. Cynder continued to watch across the distance, but it is not the premonitions she was focusing on this time. She was checking for a potential location to set up their village.

"I think across the lake, we'll be able to find a reclusive area," she said as she pointed over to the direction she was staring.

"The foliage ahead looks very thick," said Percival. "It might just be the right spot."

"One I hope for is that we won't run into any poison ivy," said Jakkin. "That stuff itches like hell, and if you scratch on where you got affected, let me tell ya, ya have no idea how unpleasant and painful it is."

"Relax, Jakkin," said Torden. "I'm sure we won't come across any poison ivy."

"Well, they are just as common in Japan as they are in America," replied Jakkin. "Believe me, I know."

Lily looked to another direction and noticed something unusual. "Uh, guys," she said nervously. "Take a look what's going on over there!"

The dragons turned to where Lily was facing, and saw that the bushes were rustling. They readied themselves, anticipating something to come out and attack. In an instant, a large, bulky figure emerged from the bushes. Draco got excited when he saw who it was.

"It's Bowser!" he exclaimed happily. "I can't believe he's here!"

Draco was about to rush towards his friend, when Cynder stopped him. "Hold on a second, Draco!" she warned. "There's something not right about Bowser! Take a look at him!"

At that moment, Draco stopped feeling very confused at Cynder's warning. Bowser looked normal to him since he usually had a gruff exterior, or so he thought, but what he didn't notice was that Bowser's eyes were different due to being affected by Vildouleur's mind control spell. They were blanked out and he had thick dark outlines around them.

Bowser fixated his sights on the six dragons. "Must destroy enemies of the Dark Queen," he uttered in a menacing tone.

"What the…?" Draco and Cynder exclaimed in bewilderment.

Swiftly, Bowser charged straight at the dragons. Realising that they're in trouble, the dragons quickly ran for their lives to the other end.

"Run faster, guys!" exclaimed Torden as he looked backwards. "He's gaining on us!"

"Let's sure hope there's nothing else blocking the other way!" panted Percival. Unfortunately, he had spoken too soon, for coming from the other end were the Pyre Squad trio.

"No, not those three again!" panicked Darky.

"This is the end of the line for you, punks!" hissed Ciara.

"We have been waiting for you," said Scorcher, and he saw Bowser coming from behind the dragons. "And so is he!"

The dragons looked to the other end, and noticed that Bowser had caught up with them. They thought about flying away, but they didn't dare in case the Pyre Squad were armed with something that would trap them. It was then when they realised that they are surrounded.

"It's all over!" bellowed Bowser. "Make it easy for you now and give up, or else!"

"This doesn't make any sense at all," said Cynder, feeling even more confused. "Bowser has teamed up with the Pyre Squad?"

"I don't get it either," said Draco, feeling very disbelieved. "It's like if he's back to his old self when he was after Princess Peach and tried to take over the Mushroom Kingdom back in his world."

"Something tells me that the Pyre Squad must have done something to him," said Cynder. "Like maybe they have brainwashed him or something."

"If that's the case, then he needs to fight it!" exclaimed Torden.

"Ready to attack, Bowser?" called the Pyre Squad. "Let's get them!"

Bowser and the Pyre Squad charged towards the cowering dragons, ready to deliver the finishing blow. Suddenly, the brooches began to glow, engulfing Cynder, Jakkin, Lily, Torden, and Percival into their respected shields. This made the five dragons realised that the brooches are calling them to use their enhanced powers. Quickly, they responded, and in a flash, all except Draco and Darky transformed.

"The five of you may have transformed, but with Bowser on our side, we can take you out!" scoffed Ciara.

"I wouldn't count on it," said Alpha Cynder. She turned to her four transformed friends. "Guys, let's give it our best shot!"

The five dragons battled the Pyre Squad and the possessed Bowser while Draco and Darky looked on. They seemed evenly matched, since although Bowser was powerful, it wasn't enough to take down any one of the dragons enhanced by their Elemental Brooches, let alone a group of five.

"That impossible!" exclaimed Cronk. "There's no way they could have gotten that strong!"

"It's the fact that they're using teamwork," said Scorcher. "This is not good."

"Time to take care of them once and for all!" declared Torden. "You guys ready?"

"We're ready!" cried the other dragons.

But just when they were about to defeat the Pyre Squad and Bowser, a sudden explosion burst right in between the parties. After the dust settled, the dragons noticed that their foes have disappeared.

"Where – where did they go?" asked Cynder as she reverted back to her normal form. The other dragons have returned to their regular forms too.

"I have no idea," replied Jakkin as he looked around for Bowser or the Pyre Squad. "They were just standing there, and as soon as that mysterious explosion, they just vanished, as if it was magic. As a matter of fact, I don't even know where the explosion came from."

Cynder examined where the explosion set off, "One thing I noticed was that a burst of energy that triggered the explosion came from above," she said as she looked up to the sky. "But, I don't see anyone up there at all."

"This is getting very weird," commented Percival.

"Oh, well," said Torden. "I think it will be best that we continue on our search for wherever we'll set up our village."

Cynder turned to Draco and Darky, who were feeling very shocked and heartbroken after seeing Bowser attempting to attack them. She could understand how they must have felt.

"I'm very sorry for what happened to Bowser, you two," said Cynder. "Whatever they did, we'll find a way to bring him back to normal."

"I certainly hope so, Cynder," said Draco sadly as Darky mounted on his back.

The dragons readied themselves and took off into the sky. Little did they was that a dark figure had been watching them from afar. It was Queen Vildouleur, who was witnessing the whole battle between them, the Pyre Squad and Bowser. The Obsidian Devourer queen grimaced menacingly, pondering over the fight.

"That was a little too close for comfort," she said to herself. "Those dragons are lot stronger than I had anticipated. Still, I could only wonder why that Charizard hasn't managed to transform like the others did."

Queen Vildouleur continued to watch the dragons fly off across the horizon. She could sense that they are looking for a place to rest. An evil grin crossed her face as she figured out her next move.

"No matter," she cackled wickedly. "I'll strike when they're tired and unable to fight. Destroying them all will be an easy victory, and as for Bowser, I shall destroy him too once he's no longer of use for me!"


	3. Chapter 3: The Strange Village

**Chapter 3 – The Strange Village**

As dusk was settling in, the dragons searched endlessly in the Fuji Five Lakes for a place to set up their village. Unfortunately, there seemed to be no such luck, and they were feeling exhausted.

"This is getting hopeless," sighed Draco. "My feet are killing me and my wings hurt."

"Patience, Draco," soothed Cynder. "If we can't find a place before sundown, we might as well set up camp once again."

"We might as well do that then," said Percival. "Besides, all this walking is making me hungry, and I need something to regain my strength."

Just then, Torden noticed something in the distance. "Guys, we won't have to worry about building a village now!" he exclaimed. "Look what's over there ahead!"

When the dragons turned around, they see a small village with six huts, which was efficient enough for the group. There doesn't seem to be anyone inhabiting the village as the place appeared to be empty.

"It's a village," said Percival. "And it looks like no one's living here."

"We did it!" cheered Lily excitedly. "We finally found a place to live! Come on, friends, let's go and check it out!"

Feeling happier from the find, the dragons made their way to the abandoned village. Cynder didn't follow them, as she felt that it was too good to be true.

"Hold it, you guys," she said. "There is something strange about this setup."

"Are you kidding?" laughed Lily. "The village looks totally safe! I don't see anything wrong with it!"

"I'm not sure," replied Cynder. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Don't be ridiculous, Cynder," said Torden as he checked out the inside of the huts. "It's got everything we needed, there's a place to cook, it's close to a lake where we can take a dip, oh, and check this out! This hut has got a library, and we all know how much you love reading books!"

"Come, Cynder!" called Darky. "This isn't so bad once you take a look around!"

"Oh, alright then," conceded Cynder as she joined her friends in the village, but she is still suspicious. The village just happened to be situated in the forest, with nobody inhabiting the place, catering everything they all could ever enjoy, so she felt that somehow, it could probably be a trap.

* * *

So the dragons settled in the strange village. Each dragon picked their own hut, while Cynder chose the one with the library. Pretty soon, she started to have second opinions about the village, and thought it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. By now when evening came, it was time for dinner, and Lily prepared some gyoza, takoyaki, and ramen, thanks to the recipes she was provided by Yosuke and Akio the other day they stayed at their house after saving Narita City from the blackout.

"Boy, are we lucky that Yosuke and Akio showed you how to cook all this food, Lily!" exclaimed Draco as he helped himself to one dumpling. "I can't get enough of these gyoza, they're as delicious as dim sums!"

Lily smiled modestly. "It makes me happy when I make others happy," she said to Draco. "It's what I am good at after all!"

"When it comes to food, you certainly are quite the chef!" complimented Darky.

"Thank you, Darky!" replied Lily delightfully. "Just wait until dessert when I serve you all some of most scrumptious sweets you have ever tasted!"

"I can hardly wait for dessert," said Torden.

Sure enough, when Lily prepared some sweet pretzels, everyone was enjoying them. Draco was having his helping, when a thought suddenly struck in him. Suddenly feeling very glum, he pushed back his pretzel and started to mope.

"My, oh my, that chocolate glaze surely melts in your mouth!" exclaimed Percival.

"I'm happy that you think so, Percival," smiled Lily. She turned to Draco. "What do you think of my pretzels, Draco?"

Draco didn't answer. He just sighed pitifully, got off his seat, and walked out of the village. The other dragons could only look on in confusion.

"What's the matter with Draco?" asked Lily. "Surely he would have liked my pretzels, wouldn't he?"

"I don't think it's the pretzels, Lily," replied Cynder. "Something else must be bothering him, and I'm going to find out what it is."

Cynder got off her seat and followed Draco out to the forest. There she saw him staring at the lake with his head hung so low. She could tell that he was feeling very depressed, and she could guess what it was that caused it.

"You're feeling sad, aren't you, Draco?" asked Cynder.

Draco didn't reply and continued looking on at the lake.

"It's because of Bowser being brainwashed by the Pyre Squad, isn't it?" pried Cynder.

"I wish I knew what happened that made him end up attacking us," replied Draco sadly, remembering the horrifying event. "The look he made when he came after us was just… I never imagined he would look at us like that…"

"There, there, Draco," soothed Cynder as she hugged him. "I understand what you're feeling right at this moment, because the Bowser we saw just wasn't the Bowser we knew."

Jakkin came to see what was going on. "Is everythin' alright, you guys?" he asked.

"Everything's fine, Jakkin," replied Cynder. "Draco's just feeling upset because of what happened to Bowser."

Jakkin sat down and rocket Draco gently. "I feel for you, dude," he said. "We promise we'll try to find a way to make him come back once we found out what caused him to attack us."

Cynder looked up to the night sky. "I'm beginning to doubt that the Pyre Squad has something to do with him being brainwashed," she said, looking back to her previous meditation. "There's something out there that is much more dangerous than them, and it could be a possibility that it might be the cause of Bowser's unusual behaviour. Whatever the case, we're going to get him back to normal for sure."

"I could certainly hope so," replied Draco, feeling somewhat better.

Soon afterwards, Cynder, Jakkin, and Draco returned to the village where the other dragons were waiting for them. Cynder explained everything to them, and they felt sorry for their Charizard friend. Lily offered him a couple of pretzels, to which he accepted.

"Thanks very much for the pretzels, Lily," said Draco slowly. "Those are very delicious."

"Anything to bring you back on your feet," replied Lily. "I know how you must feel about having a close friend end up becoming a slave to the bad guys, but we must not let that get the better of us, since there's always a way everything can be resolved."

"Lily's right, Draco," said Torden. "And at least you have us, so as long as we stay together, nothing can be impossible for us to overcome."

"Well, I guess we all have to start getting ourselves ready to sleep," said Cynder, noticing how late it was by now. "Tomorrow should hopefully be a much better, and we'll try to plan our next move."

"Yes, we should," agreed Percival. "But what are we going to do about Bowser and the Pyre Squad if they come here?"

"Not to worry," said Cynder. "If they try to attack us in our sleep, let's try not to face them by ourselves, but alert each other so that we can try to work together as a team to keep them at bay. With Bowser, we'll try to avoid him for the time being until we find a way to restore him back."

Percival looked around at the village. Already he felt somewhat of a slight chill and wondered about what Cynder thought at first about the village. "Do you really think there's something strange about the village?" he asked.

"I don't know for sure," replied Cynder ominously. "But we must be cautious, because it was just too good to be true that would find a village in the middle of nowhere that is conveniently without any inhabitants."

Cynder looked out from the village with a grim expression on her face. Much as she wanted to believe that the village was safe, she could still sense that there was danger approaching, remembering that explosion during the fight with Bowser and the Pyre Squad. She knew that the blast that triggered it was a type of breath that belonged to some kind of dragon, and suspects that it is out there and would stop at nothing to ensure that they are destroyed.


	4. Chapter 4: The Enemy Ambush

**Chapter 4 – The Enemy Ambush**

Late at night, everyone was getting ready to go to bed. The wind swept silently along with the symphony of crickets chirping. The dragons were checking out their huts and found that the beds provided were surprisingly comfortable and warm. It felt different and much better from sleeping inside contained camping tents.

Before Cynder went to bed herself, she decided to check on her teammates to make sure they will have a good sleep. The first hut she visited was Draco's, and she could see he was feeling rather anxious.

"You seem to be having trouble trying to sleep," she said.

"It's my first time sleeping all by myself," said Draco. "If only we could be able to sleep together like how we've been doing whenever we set up camp, then it wouldn't be a problem."

"Too bad those beds cater for one person only," sympathised Cynder. "My guess is that you're so used to sleeping with me or Bowser until now."

Draco slowly nodded. He never really liked sleeping alone.

"If you ever need me, you can always drop by at my hut," said Cynder. "It's just right next door."

Just then, Darky came into Draco's hut.

"Darky!" exclaimed Cynder. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I was feeling a bit lonely when you went out," explained Darky. "I didn't want to wait until you get back to the hut, big sis."

Cynder thought for a moment, and then she had an idea. "Wait, Darky, you don't mind sleeping in Draco's hut for the time being?" she asked. "I don't mind sleeping by myself, since you know I'm more of the kind that likes my solitude and privacy."

"You're absolutely sure about that?" asked Darky.

"Yes, little brother," said Cynder. "Draco just needs some company since he's not used to sleeping alone."

"I understand that," said Darky. "Of course, I will be happy to stay with him for the night."

Cynder smiled and she looked at Draco who was feeling relieved to have someone with him.

"Thank you for that, Cynder," said Draco. "I might sleep a lot better now."

"That is good to hear," replied Cynder. "But, please, if you two need anything, don't hesitate to drop by at my hut and give me a shout."

"We will, Cynder," said Draco and Darky. "Good night!"

"Good night," said Cynder, and with that she left Draco's hut to check on the other dragons. Already, they were sound asleep, so she returned to room and snuggled on the bed. She was feeling a little bit of a chill, though it wasn't because of the fact that she was all alone in her hut, but because she was still concerned about the possibility that the Pyre Squad and Bowser could strike at any moment. She is also well aware of a greater evil that is out there and possibly watching on her and her team. Cynder lay very still, thinking about what will be next move for her and her team when they wake up in the morning. Soon, she drifted off soundly to sleep.

* * *

It was past 3 o'clock, and Percival awoke all of a sudden. He was having trouble trying to sleep and realised that he was feeling very thirty, so he quietly made his way out of the village and made his way towards the lake to have a drink. The water felt very refreshing, which made it all the better for Percival. Soon afterwards, the gold dragon's thirst was quenched and he was ready to return to his hut. As Percival came back to the village, he decided to check how everyone else was doing. He peered into the windows of each hut, and noticed that they were still asleep. Suddenly, a noise startled Percival, and looked around to see what caused it, when he found a fallen tree branch. He felt very uneasy, sensing that the village is probably being watched. Realising it was nothing, he plodded back into his hut, though in the back of his mind, he could feel that something wrong is about to happen.

Looming over the village was Queen Vildouleur, anticipating for the moment to begin her assault on the dragons. As Percival finally entered into his hut and went to sleep, this was exactly the opportunity she had been waiting for. Grinning evilly, she stood up tall and spread her wings, giving the signal to the Pyre Squad and Bowser to raid the village.

Inside Draco's hut, Darky was sleeping peacefully along with his Charizard friend, but then, something made him wake up. He heard a strange noise, so he tried to wake Draco up.

"Draco, get up!" he urged quietly. "I think I hear something outside."

Slowly, Draco woke up. "Huh, Darky?" he asked groggily. "What is it?"

"I heard some noises outside," answered Darky nervously. "We need to alert the other in case it's someone that could attack us."

Draco got off his bed and went out with Darky. He looked all around the village, and when he scanned out to the entrance, he noticed the shape of three figures approaching, and they all looked very familiar.

"Uh-oh," said Draco. "It looks like we got company. We need to warn the others quickly!"

Draco and Darky hurried to Cynder's hut. Draco nudged on the sleeping Twilight Storm's shoulder in an attempt to wake her up. Cynder slowly opened her eyes.

"Draco?" she asked irritably. "It's nearly 4am, what's going on?"

"The Pyre Squad is coming!" exclaimed Draco. "We need to get ourselves ready!"

Without wasting any time, Cynder rushed out with Draco and Darky to alert the other dragons. Already, the Pyre Squad arrived, and they've been eagerly waiting to take down the dragons. Even though the dragons were up, they were still feeling very sleepy.

"You may have been up nice and early, but seeing you in your state, there's no way you can be able to beat us that easily," sneered Ciara.

"Don't get cocky, Pyre Squad!" snarled Cynder. "It's three of you against the six of us! We may not be in fighting shape, but you're still not as tough as you think you are!"

The Pyre Squad stood silent for a moment. "Have you forgotten that we have backup?" scoffed Scorcher. "We have our Koopa to even the score, and he's more than happy to see you!"

Sure enough, Bowser arrived, still possessed, and he has an eerily twisted smile on his face.

"I must obey," he growled. "The dragons must be destroyed!"

"Bowser, snap out of it!" pleaded Draco. "You are much better than that! You have to listen to me and fight it, please! Why won't you listen to me?"

"Because he only listens to me, you fool!" boomed a voice.

The dragons turned around to see a tall, black, demonic looking dragoness looking down on them. She smirked as she watched Bowser the Pyre Squad advance on them. Cynder gritted her teeth, realising that this dark dragoness must be the leader and the driving force of all the events that has transpired up to this point.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Looks like our heroes are in a real pickle as they're surrounded by their enemies including the possessed Bowser. Anyone who is curious, this story is inspired by the Digimon episode "Evil Shows His Face," and more inspirations like that will be popping up!


	5. Chapter 5: Vildouleur Revealed

**Chapter 5 – Vildouleur Revealed**

"Who – who are you?" gasped Percival.

"I am the destructor of tranquility," began the dragoness. "Bringer of pain and fear, I am Queen Vildouleur, supreme leader of the Obsidian Devourers, ruler of dragonkind, and master of darkness!"

The Pyre Squad and even Bowser bowed down respectfully to Queen Vildouleur.

"So we finally meet, Queen Vildouleur," said Cynder with great disgust. "You must be the one behind all this."

"Oh, Cynder, you have clearly made a huge mistake!" declared Queen Vildouleur. "You've picked the losing side! I have had hope that you would think and feel like a proper dragon! Now it is too late, and you shall suffer the consequences all dragons will face when they associate themselves with lesser beings!"

"There's more to being a dragon that being all powerful, you know," said Cynder. "I have learnt that from my mentor, my sister, and my friends,"

"Don't make me laugh!" snapped Queen Vildouleur. "Might makes right, and that's what it takes to be a dragon! It's the strongest and cruellest that prevail! We are the future!"

"You just want to bring forth the Dark Ages into this time!" shouted Cynder.

"It was the golden age for all dragonkind, if you don't understand that," retorted Queen Vildouleur nastily. "We need medieval imagery, not all this modern-day Japanese rubbish! By the way, that village you lot have been sleeping in was all just an illusion I fabricated in order to dispose of you while you're exhausted!"

Queen Vildouleur's eyes glowed bright yellow, and with that, the dragons saw the entire village crumble before them. They were horrified.

"So this was all a trap," trembled Lily. "My beautiful hut is ruined…"

"I knew this way too good to be true!" growled Torden.

"I'm getting tired of all this chatting," said Queen Vildouleur. "The time has come for you dragons to meet your fate! Bowser! Pyre Squad! Finish them off!"

"I shall do as you command, my Queen," droned Bowser.

"This is going to be satisfying getting rid of those scum!" laughed Ciara. "We'll finally have our retribution!"

"What a fine day that we get the chance to defeat those meddlesome dragons," grinned Scorcher. "This will be our finest hour!"

As Bowser and the Pyre Squad drew nearer to the dragons, they tried to think up of a way to keep them at bay. Torden, Jakkin, and Percival tried to attack them with their breaths, but it was no good. They were still in a tired state, that they didn't have enough strength to knock them back. Their breaths just bounced off Bowser and the Pyre Squad as if they were nothing.

"Losing your steam, aren't we?" mocked the Pyre Squad. "It's all over for you! Payback time for all the humiliation you put us through!"

"Darn it!" pouted Torden as the situation increasingly became hopeless. "We're just not completely fighting fit!"

"What are we going to do now?" asked Percival as he panicked. "They've got us outmatched!"

"We got to think up of a plan, Cynder!" exclaimed Draco. "This is quite a predicament that we're in now!"

"He's right," said Jakkin. "We can't be able to fight 'em since we're all still pooped."

"I'm trying to think, you guys," said Cynder. "Guess we have no other choice but… RUN!"

Cynder and her friends started dashing past Bowser and the Pyre Squad before they could attack. They could just look on as the dragons flee for their lives out of where the fake village entrance used to be.

"Don't just stand there!" barked Queen Vildouleur. "Get them, and make sure they're all destroyed!"

Obediently, Bowser and the Pyre Squad began pursuing the escaping dragons.

* * *

Cynder and her friends ran as quickly as they could through the woods, hoping to lose tail of Bowser and the Pyre Squad. Draco felt reluctant to escape as he wanted to help Bowser and bring him back to normal, but knowing that he is unfortunately enslaved by Queen Vildouleur, he had no other choice.

"Faster, you guys!" panted Cynder. "I know we're tired, but we've got to move quickly so that they won't be able to track us down."

"Do you have any idea where we're going, Cynder?" asked Percival.

"No, I don't," replied Cynder. "But let's just make our way through the forest before they catch us!"

Percival wasn't assured by Cynder's words. Torden looked behind his back, and was shocked when he noticed something coming.

"Don't look back now, guys!" he exclaimed. "But it looks like they're catching up!"

When Cynder looked back curiously, she could see that sure enough, Bowser and the Pyre Squad have managed to catch up with them and were pursuing them rather fast.

"We're going to have to pick up the pace now!" she called. "We should be getting close to exiting the forest!"

The dragons have finally managed to escape the forest. It was already sunrise. They continued running as fast as their feet could carry, but there was trouble up ahead. A root of a tree was protruding out of the ground. None of the dragons noticed it, which proved to be a huge mistake. When Draco ran by as he followed his friends, his leg tripped over the root and he fell to the ground. He wasn't seriously injured, but his leg so sore that he was unable to run.

"Draco!" shouted Cynder, and she hurried back to help her fallen friend. He groaned in agony. "Draco, are you alright?"

"I think I've crippled my leg," choked Draco as he tried to get up. "Ouch! That hurts so badly!"

"We've got to get you somewhere safe!" exclaimed Jakkin. "Come on! Let us help you back up!"

"No, just go on without me," said Draco. "I don't think I can carry on any more."

"Don't talk such nonsense!" snorted Cynder. "We're a team, and we shall stick together!"

In a minute, Bowser and the Pyre Squad arrived to see Cynder and the others tending to the injured Draco. They grinned evilly as they knew that this means that they can finish them off very easily.

"So, tired of running now?" laughed Ciara.

"Looks like you've reached the end of the line!" declared Scorcher. "All of you are through!"

"This is very bad," gulped Lily. "We can't leave Draco and now they've managed to reach us."

Cynder realised that they're really in trouble and there was no way out. With Draco incapacitated and her team including herself not in shape to fight, she could only hope that a miracle would save them from their perilous situation.

Ciara grinned nastily. "Pathetic how you all could be so weak," she said. "A weak dragon is a dead dragon. We'll make your loss one that you'll never forget!"

"I shall destroy the enemies of the Dark Queen," growled Bowser menacingly. "Every single one of them will die."

"I'm so sorry for this, Bowser, but you have given me no choice," said Cynder bravely. She opened her mouth to deliver a plasma burst towards Bowser, but when she tried, nothing happened.

"Don't waste your breath, dragon girl," rasped Bowser as he uttered a horrifying evil laugh. "You and your friends are finished!"

 _"Do it, Bowser! Kill them all!"_ urged Queen Vildouleur's voice as it echoed throughout the plains.

"As you command, my Queen," droned Bowser. He set his sights on Cynder and her friends while they watched him with horror and disbelief as he began to deliver the finishing blow with a devastating fire breath.

Just when it seemed that it was all over for Cynder and her friends, a wall of flames suddenly burst out between them and Bowser. The Pyre Squad could only wonder what was happening while Bowser was simply knocked backwards. After the flames dissipated, the dragons were nowhere to be found. Bowser and the Pyre Squad looked around for them, but to no avail.

 _"They must be around somewhere!"_ boomed Queen Vildouleur's voice. _"Find them and destroy them on sight! They must not interfere with my plans!"_

"I will obey your every order," growled Bowser as he and the Pyre Squad began their search for the dragons.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I should have mentioned it in the first chapter, but I decided to save it until to this point - Vildouleur is a portmanteau of the French words _vil_ (vile) and _douleur_ (pain), which is a fitting name for Queen Vildouleur as she is vile and delivers pain, grief, and all that stuff. Pretty clever, I must say.


	6. Chapter 6: Close Call

**Chapter 6 – Close Call**

Blaze the cat eyed Bowser and the Pyre Squad as they disappeared into the forest. She was not shocked at Bowser working with the Obsidian Devourers for she knew that Queen Vildouleur had mind control powers, but she could tell that it must have been very confusing for those who knew he was a good guy who used to be bad, especially Draco, Cynder and Darky. The dragon master turned to her friends, feeling very pleased to have saved them just in time.

"Phew!" she remarked. "That was a close call! Are all of you dragons okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine," said Cynder. "Boy, we sure are lucky that you have come and stopped Bowser's attack with you pyrokinesis. Thank you for saving our lives, Blaze."

"It was nothing," replied Blaze.

Cynder looked at Draco who was still feeling pain in his injured leg. "Although now, Draco needs medical attention," she said. "He tripped over and hurt his leg when we trying to get away from Bowser and the Pyre Squad."

"I've got just the treatment for that," said Tails as he rummaged through his backpack. "Let's see what I have on my first aid kit, we got bandages, gauze, and, ah! Here we are, a Hyper Potion! That should do the trick!"

Tails took out from his backpack what appeared to be some kind of spray bottle. It was white on top with pink at the bottom including the nozzle, and it looked like it was intended to spray on any part of the body that was bruised or wounded.

"So that's a Hyper Potion?" asked Darky.

"Yes it is, Darky," replied Tails. He turned to Draco. "Show me which leg is hurt," he said.

Draco slowly lifted the right cuff of his jeans to expose where he got hit when he tripped. Tails examined his ankle and cringed when he noticed how swollen it was.

"Whoa, that's a nasty bruise!" he exclaimed. "Not to worry, Draco, we'll fix you up."

Draco felt slightly nervous, remembering how any kind of Potion tended to sting. Cynder held his arm tightly. "Just calm down and hold still, Draco," she said. "You'll be alright when this is over."

Draco slowly nodded and waited for Tails to spray the Potion on his bruise. He felt a little sting as Tails started spraying, but it was not as painful as he remembered it. After that, Tails wiped the sprayed bruise with a cotton ball and finally wrapped it with some gauze.

"It will take a couple of days until the bruise is finally gone," he said. "At least for now, you should be able to walk since the Potion does help speed up the recovery."

"Thanks you, Tails," sighed Draco, feeling very relieved.

Tails smiled as his Charizard friend slowly managed to get back up. All the dragons including Blaze and Tails engaged in a group hug with him.

* * *

Later, Blaze, Tails and the dragons were making their way towards the Tornado, which had been left in the outskirts of the Saiko Lake. Cynder was telling Blaze and Tails everything that happened while they were in Japan.

"So you all have become Japanese citizens after solving a power outage crisis in Narita, Chiba?" asked Blaze. "Well, I must say congratulations for that!"

"Yeah," replied Cynder. "That sure was quite adventure, though what we've been through recently wasn't the most pleasant experiences we ever had."

"I thought it was a bit of a fun adventure!" exclaimed Lily. "I mean, sure we've been chased by the bad guys, but other than that, we explored the Fuji Five Lakes and settled in that village, even if it wasn't a real one, and I must say that was a welcome change from camping out every night!"

"After what we've been up against, I doubt I ever want to repeat that again," said Draco, still remembering that Bowser was still under Queen Vildouleur's control.

"It must have been a very intense moment for you guys when you faced the Dark Queen," said Blaze.

"I'm sorry for asking, but who is Queen Vildouleur?" asked Torden.

Blaze paused for a moment. "Queen Vildouleur is one of the evilest dragons to have ever lived," she began. "She is very dangerous and is a complete radical dragon supremacist."

"And she is the leader of the Obsidian Devourers, ain't I right?" asked Jakkin.

"Indeed she is," replied Cynder. "She has been gathering many followers, either through bad inspiration or brute force. Anyone who stood up to her were either brainwashed against their will like Bowser, or in the case of non-dragons or hybrids, ended up dead. Many of the dragons who joined the Obsidian Devourers were a mixture of the dragons that were fearful, power-hungry, or just plain malicious, and the majority of them shared the same ideologies as their leader."

"I don't understand," said Percival. "What is it that Vildouleur has against us?"

"It seems to me that she sees you all as a threat to her goals," said Blaze. "The fact that you, Cynder, Lily, and Torden don't uphold the prejudices that the Obsidian Devourers possess, that Jakkin is an Eastern dragon, and that Draco is a Charizard, that makes you all mortal enemies in her eyes."

"That is absolutely terrible!" exclaimed Darky.

"This is why you all need your Elemental Brooches," continued Blaze. "Draco needs to find his, of course, if he were to stand a chance against the Obsidian Devourers."

"So you're saying that we're destined to fight Queen Vildouleur?" asked Draco.

"I'm afraid to say it, but yes, that is reason why King Kurotsuki and I created the Elemental Brooches, and that's why I sent Cynder into her mission of finding a group of friends," confessed Blaze.

"Is this like those prophecies?" asked Percival.

"Not necessarily," replied Blaze. "This is all just a test of friendship and teamwork, not to mention a quest of self-discovery."

"That's understandable," said Draco.

"Here we are, you guys!" exclaimed Tails as they arrived at a clearing where the Tornado was rested. "Since you're all having trouble trying to find a location for you to set up village, I thought I could help out, and I know just the place!"

* * *

Tails led the way after starting up his Tornado. He, Blaze, and the dragons all flew to the southwest until they eventually reached a certain place by the sea. It was full of lushing green forests and the seaside looked very peaceful.

"Here's the place, everyone!" he called happily. "Ise-Shima National Park, it's huge and has lots of potential spots for you to set up your village."

"Now we must find the right place," said Cynder.

"That won't be a problem," said Tails as he readied his jet to land. "I'm very good at finding proper locations."

Soon, they arrived at a remote location in the national park. Tails boarded off the Tornado and surveyed the scene. It was quite reclusive as the forest was very dense, and it wasn't far off from the Agowan Bay.

"This looks like the best place to set up village," he said. "So, what do you guys think?"

The dragons looked around with great interest. Cynder noticed that it was fairly close to the beach. This made her delighted as she loved going swimming and hunting for fish. The others even thought that it looked very promising.

"Tails, you have picked a very good spot," smiled Draco.

"I'm glad I did," said Tails. "Hope you guys will have a nice stay."

"Where do we go from here now, guys?" asked Torden.

"Well, I think you dragons can have a look around the forest or even at the beach," suggested Blaze. "I could accompany you while Tails gets to work with making the village."

"That sounds like a darn good idea," said Jakkin.

Blaze smiled. "Alright, follow me," she said. Jakkin, Lily, Torden, and Percival followed Blaze out to the beach while Cynder, Draco and Darky decided to have another look at the forest for the time being. Tails went off to the other direction in order to begin construction of the dragons' village.

"Are you three comin' along with us?" asked Jakkin.

"We will pretty soon!" called Cynder. She wanted to console Draco and Darky as she is well aware that they still feel distraught about what happened to Bowser.

"Draco and Darky," she began. "I know yesterday and this morning may have been a very scarring one for you both due to Bowser being under Queen Vildouleur's, but at least none of us ended up like him."

"Yeah, I know," said Draco slowly. "I could only hope that we will get him back to normal."

"I sure hope so too," said Darky. "He's like a big brother and father to us."

"I understand that, you two," said Cynder. "We may not have been able to do so today, but there will come a time when we will finally free Bowser, defeat Queen Vildouleur and put an end to the Obsidian Devourers." She looked on out to the open sea, feeling determination welling through her. "Once we find the last Elemental Brooch, we will be ready," she said with confidence. "No matter what it takes, we must stop the Obsidian Devourers, for Tails, for Blaze, for Bowser, and for the world!"

 **To Be Continued...**

* * *

Well, this story has been a really intense one! The ending may have been bittersweet since Bowser isn't free from the Queen Vildouleur's spell, but at least our heroes now learn what their main goal is, and must accomplish the task of finding in the sixth Elemental Brooch if they are to succeed! See you all again in the next story!


End file.
